Can a Fendered "A" be era correct for the 50's?

I know its a weird question... But were all the 50's rods fenderless? Thinking more in the late 20 to mid 30 models. I have a 30 "A" that was done in the 70's style that I cant stand and wanted to go more traditional with it but would like to keep the fenders for sentimental reasons. Mainly because it was pops ride and he loved his fenders. After he is gone I will probably go fenderless and go a bit more traditional. Thanks for your input.

 

They were not all fenderless by any means. How about the cover of the first issue of Rods & Customs from May 53 as proof (Yeah, I know it's a 32, but the question is fenders)
remember that California enacted a Fender Law in the early 50's

 

Meh just leave it how it is. The 70's will be back in style soon. LOL

 

Fenders are very traditional.

 

Come on dude, have you ever looked at a hot rod magazine from the 1950's? If not, do it it & you will have the answer to your question.
Sincerely,
Cheatercarl

 

You know what Im saying... Of corse I know fenders were never banned... Guess Im trying to picture a true 50's style A with fenders. Maybe I just need to spend some time looking...

 

a lot of places the law said you had to run fenders...

 

Sort of 50's looking......

 

Same old advice...run what you like...lots of 40's-'50's cars had fenders, even then some builders liked them closer to stock...ran '29 A fenders on my '30 A roadster, not only helped keep the cops away but kept mud off the car, never regretted it.

 

Actually, if you check the old magazines, its harder to find cars that didnt have fenders. Cycle fenders were very common, and there were lots of full fendered cars as well. Just dont tell all the history revisionists on here.

 

There was a locally well known Model A coupe full fendered rod in the Boston area in the 50's..Herb Dreher's...that car would look all wrong without them....because..we remember it that way

I just put full fenders on my late 50s era 32 build. It finally looks right to my old memories here in the east.

 

I know Cali had a weight limit to be fenderless. 1400#?

 

remember that most states (all, perhaps?) had fender laws. That's why you see so many cycle fenders on 'fenderless' hot rods. CA had a weight restriction, if I recall, vehicles less than 1500 lbs (I'm not positive on the exact 'tonnage') were exempt from fender laws - why T-buckets were so popular. As hotrodding became more mainstream (streetwise), some municipalities were urged to rewrite their statutes to permit modified cars to run with no fenders. I recall that WA (my old stomping grounds) required fenders until Ron Perkerowiecz (sorry Ron - I'm not anti-Pollack, just can't recall the exact spelling) and his efforts (others were involved) pushed through a change to state law allowing for fenderless cars.

Most of us building early A-bones left the fenders on because channeling was outside our skill level and there weren't enough deuce frames to go around, so we left the fenders on (bobbed the rears) and spent our money on dropped axles and flathead speed equipment (thanks Almquist, Honest Charley and JC Whitney).

dj

 

I LOVE a deeply channeled car with full wheelcovers & cycle fenders. They were everywhere in the late fifties, and virtually no one builds that style anymore.

 

I personaly like fenders, there are too many rods without them that it makes one with fenders that much cooler. Here is my pickup, I was going for late '50's early '60's compition look.

 

Good Info. here.... Thanks for taking the time to respond and figuring out what I was trying to say.

 

Yep, dig out any mid 50's rod magazine and take a look and most of the rods including drag cars in classes lower than altered had fenders. A lot of it was due to the laws at the time in most states and even a lot of the states that let you run without fenders had weight rules where you had to be under a certain weight.

 

Very '50s style, except for the rust. I like it, but I'd LOVE it with paint.

 

Quickly went through a few dozen 50's mags. 1 or 2 full fendered 28-31 A's, 90% cycle/bobbed fendered A's. Almost every deuce was fendered, not so much with the A's.

 

I dig the fenders. Honestly; i get sick of looking at them all without the fenders. very traditional. Keep 'em!

 

^^^^ 2x


I agree farmergal :]'

 

For those making commetns about California's fender law - it is still on the books;
Fenders and Mudguards

<!-- #EndEditable --><!-- #BeginEditable "section_number" -->27600<!-- #EndEditable -->. <!-- #BeginEditable "section_content" -->No person shall operate any motor vehicle having three or more wheels, any trailer, or semitrailer unless equipped with fenders, covers, or devices, including flaps or splash aprons, or unless the body of the vehicle or attachments thereto afford adequate protection to effectively minimize the spray or splash of water or mud to the rear of the vehicle and all such equipment or such body or attachments thereto shall be at least as wide as the tire tread. This section does not apply to those vehicles exempt from registration, trailers and semitrailers having an unladen weight of under 1,500 pounds, or any vehicles manufactured and first registered prior to January 1, 1971, having an unladen weight of under 1,500 pounds.

 

now you see, although I'm primarily a Kustom guy, if more people started doing this my attention span for hot rods would increase greatly! Scallops and pinstripes on bobbed or cycle fenders! That's what I'm talking about. And man, if you're talking 50s, wheelcovers are a must (in my opinion of course).
Paul

 

Wonderful... I think Id like to shorten up the rear fenders so they dont hang down sooooo low in the ass end now that the body is much closer to the ground while retaining the stock look. I dont know if I should change out the front I beam 4 bar out with hairpins or not. Thoughts?

 

I dig full-fendered A's (here's mine)

-Jeremy

 

Can a Fendered "A" be era correct for the 50's?

I think so

 

Post up a pic of the car. If it's 70's style, I suspect whether or not it has fenders are the least of it's problems.

 

...And that law went into effect in 1955, so yes, fenders are ok.

 

Seeing as they came STOCK on over a MILLION of the freakin' things when they were new, you figure a couple might have still had them....

 

whoa, thats RAD!!